Baltimore’s Public Housing Authority Says It is “Not Possible” To Pay Judgments in Maryland Lead Poisoning Cases

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City says it is “not possible” to pay almost $12 million in existing Maryland lead poisoning judgments. According to City Housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano says that the agency just cannot afford to pay.

The nearly $12 million is for nine court judgments, and the housing authority is still facing 175 Baltimore lead paint cases, which could up the amount the city owes for these claims to $800 million. Some lawmakers are outraged the city’s response.

Although Maryland’s lead law, which was passed in the 1990’s, has decreased the number of lead poisoning incidents that occur each year—the lead risk reduction law mandates that owners of rental units constructed before 1950 fix them to reduce lead exposure risks—incidents of lead poisoning are still diagnosed on a regular basis. According to a 2010 report by the state’s Department of the Environment, more than 500 kids under the age of 7 were diagnosed with lead poisoning in 2009. 347 of the cases were in Baltimore, the leading city for exposure to lead because of the age of the city’s housing. There are still homes and building that have lead paint on windows, walls, or molding—even if they have been painted over.

Lead paint on a property is a hazard and can be grounds for a Baltimore personal injury lawsuit if injuries or illness result. Young kids are especially at risk of serious harm from exposure to lead paint, which can affect physical and mental development and in certain cases lead to death. Adults are also prone to injuries from lead poisoning.

Disclaimer: While all of the cases identified in the Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers website under Our Successes are cases that Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers has handled for its clients, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers does not represent any of the clients in cases mentioned in our blog. Our law firm is reporting on current events that will likely be of interest to our readers. The content provided is not intended as legal advice.

Our past results are not a guarantee of future results, and they should not be used to predict an outcome in any future case or matter. The merits of each case must be determined based upon the facts and the applicable law of each particular case. Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers is a law firm with lawyers licensed to practice law in the State of Maryland, and a lawyer licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C.